REVIEW / Bokura: planet (Steam)

When I was a teenager, my younger brother used to pester me. Constantly. If I was hanging out with friends, he would try to annoy me. I wanted nothing to do with him. Thankfully, we both grew up, matured, even though that 7.5-year age gap remained. He’ll always be my little brother, but now we’re friends, and he was the first person I thought of when I saw this game. Didn’t take any convincing to get him to try it out with me.

BOKURA: planet is a cute little puzzle platform that requires two players. I don’t often play co-op games, so this was a treat! Tokoronyori is the indie developer behind this adventure game, which starts off in space but quickly takes a turn with a crash-landing on a red planet. With your friend (or enemy), you have to explore the unknown and find a way home while navigating a foreign land, solving puzzles, avoiding enemies, and searching for a missing crew member.

My brother is a great companion when it comes to adventures and puzzles. He didn’t get into a rheology program by accident. With his brains and our collective communication skills, we were able to fly through most of the puzzles. As the game progressed, so did the challenges. The puzzles get progressively more difficult, but they were never frustrating and still quite simple. If you’re bad at listening or giving instructions, you might struggle with some of the puzzles, but my brother and I excel in this area as analytical individuals. Keep in mind that you will need to use an external source to verbally communicate with your partner. There’s no built-in chat system. Thank goodness for Discord.

There’s also a twist that I won’t give away. You have to see for yourself because it is such a fun twist. Let’s just say that it gave me Alien vibes and adds another layer to the story. Speaking of the story, BOKURA: planet is cute, a little mysterious, but nothing mind-blowing. One thing that bothered me was the cut scenes at the start of the game. They were much too long and could have been cut in half without taking away from the story or atmosphere. It felt a little indulgent with the silly banter between the characters, but it’s not completely irrelevant. Both characters have different objectives, and who you choose matters, so it’s important to pay attention to their dialogue and thoughts. Not something you want to skip.

My brother and I both love soundtracks. Music has been a part of our lives since childhood, so that was a feature we immediately noticed within the game. Quirky and vibrant are words that come to mind, and melody enhances the atmosphere of the brightly pixelated world. Everything from the music to the sound effects to the colors blends into this perfect harmonization that fully immersed me in the gameplay. It was hard for me to dislike any aspect of the game. BOKURA: planet is relatively short and can be played in one sitting, so if you’re looking for something more robust, this might fall flat.

Overall, I loved the mechanics, gameplay, design, and story. This is one of those games I’ll want to revisit, especially with people who have never tried it. For $5.49, you can grab it on Steam (Windows or Mac). It’s worth the price. One of those hidden gems that’s fun if you’re into a mix of collaboration and deception. Just in time for the Christmas season. Who doesn’t want to be a little bit naughty and nice?

This review is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.